Dial indicator mechanism



Oct, 11, 1949. .J. H. W'ORTHEN DIAL INDICATOR MECHANISM 2 Sheerls-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 17, 1944 INVENTOR u b/zfl I l /ffie/z ATTORNEYS 0a. 11, 1949. J. H. WORTHEN 2,484,771

DIAL INDICATOR MECHANISM Filed Oct 17, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 11, 1949 DIAL INDICATOR MECHANISM -John H. Worthen, Providence, R. I.,:as'si'gnor &to Federal ProductSC0rp0rati0n,x-a corporation of .Rhode Island Application october 1'7, 1944fS61i221NOQ 5591073 3 Claims.

-".'ihis invention relates to e; dial indicator.

- ln-sa dial indicator of thekperpendicular spindle type; wherein the-spindle isiatzright angles to the dial; a crown gear isused ior meshing with the pini'eI-rof the staff oftheindic'ator hand=and frehliently there isa problempfpbtairrin'g the proper mesh pet/ween such erown' gearand pinion on the endtif' the'--staii. n erse freouentlyoccurs that sbm di fiiolilty is' eiiperienced in the proper location of the pinion which engages the rack on the tspihdle pr operating'plunger.

' Qne-of the objects-of this invention is to provide an arrangement 17vhereby the crown gear may benicelyme's'h'ed' with the pinion on the indicating *ha-nd staff.

*nnether oni set pf this invention is to provide adiiustment' between"the"geartrain mechanism for transmission of *mdtianarid the pinion on the -indicatirrg=hand staff so that the entire gear train may be adjusted for mesh with this pinion.

- Anothernbj'ect of *this invention "is to "provide anarrangemenvwhereby the front plate may carry the"gear"- train 'and'the assembly -may be adiustedforni'cemesh-of thegear train'with the rack er "the spindle. I

- Another ob-Erect "of this invention is to "provide a completely separable unit which may be replaced'by'other'units 'whereby units may be arranged for various 2 multiplications-of movement transmission between the spindle rack and the pinion for the ind-icatch" "hand.

Another object of this invention is "to provide a movementnf wsuch' d'esi'gn that the distance between the gear which meshes with the rack and the gear which meshes with the pinion on the indicator hand stair "will be'l'fixed although thesemaybe of different sizesor the train o'fgears may vary as to'various multiplications which may be had.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the dial indicator with the mounting support shown broken off;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the casing with the front plate although the dial, bezel, and crystal are removed;

Fig. 3 is a plan view looking into the end of the case with the front plate shown in Fig. 2 and the unit mounted thereon removed;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the front plate with the unit mounted thereon shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 5' 'is an edge view:ef -the snowin sin-fight on substantially line '5--5- of' Fig. 4;

Fig. '64s anedgevi'e'w 'of theplate and the parts attached thereto with the gear train movemeht removed;

' Fig. '7 is an elevation of the' gear train' move ment alone and separated from' the' plate shown in Fig-6;

Fig.8 is a sectional yiew' 'on siibstantially line 8 8 of Fig. 4;

Fig. '9 is a sectronal view on-substaiitialiy dine 9-9 of Fig. 5 also showing the casing --mm-wnien the unit is placed;

Fig. 1-0 is a sectional view through the dial in d-icator plate-and unit in='assenrbledrelation in the casing, the sectional showing bemgsomewh aft modified from a straight line in order 'to'bring in the relation er the'various "parts.

- In proceeding with this "invention the casing with its spindle' 'or plunger "is provided "with n front plate for closing the casing upon which plate the dial is mounted and through"which thestaff which carries the hand tomove' over 'thissdial extends. This front plate'carries thisindicatin'g rangea completely separable "unit to "connect the rack'on the plunger an'dia'pinion on theindicator hand staff 'whichnnit-m'aybejprovided with various multiplications or movement. "I alsotprovide -for an adjustable conneo'tion between this nnit and the plate that proper meshingrelationbetween the pinion on theindicating hand sta fi and the actuating .gear of the unitmay' lbe had. 3Furthei this plate is "provided with an arrangement for movement relativeto the casingso thatafter thennitis moun-tedonthe plate the -entire plate and unit may be adjusted for meshing aapinion carried by the unit with the rack.

With reference to the drawing, the casing is designated generally l5 and comprises a cylindrical side wall I6 having an integral bottom wall I! with a stem l8 extending from this bottom wall to slidably mount the spindle or plunger 19 in bushings 20 and 2| the latter of which is flanged as at 22. The inner end of this plunger I9 is provided with rack teeth 23 and carries an arm 24 to extend into a slot 25 in a block 26 so as to prevent turning of this plunger or spindle about its longitudinal axis. A suitable supporting rod 21 is threaded as at 28 into the casing for supporting the indicator in various positions.

A front plate 30 provides a closure for the hollow casing ill by fitting into a recess 3 l' formed in the enlarged upper edge of the wall l6 to re,

oeive it. Threaded holes 32 are provided at suitable locations in this recess for the holding of the plate in position. Bolts 33 pass through slots 34 of the plate into these threaded openings 32 for adjustably holding the plate in position. This plate 30 has a staff 35 rotatably mounted thereon which stafi carries a pinion gear 36. A hair spring 37 tends to rotate this stafiin one direction, the plate also carries a leaf spring 38 one end of which engages the plunger or spindle 19 so as to move the same outwardly from the casing. The spring 38 is held in position on the plate 36 by the bolt 39.

A dial 40 is fixedly mounted on the face plate 36 while a dial hand 4! is mounted on staff 35 by means of hub 42 so as to rotate over this dial in response to motion which is transmitted thereto.

In order to cause the rack teeth of the plunger H] to move pinion 36 on the staff 35 and consequently move the hand 4| I provide a unit designated 45 which is shown alone in Fig. 7 in which a gear train is provided for connection between the rack 23 and the pinion 36. This unit consists of a pair of plates 46 and 41 which are held together by a plurality of posts 48 into which bolts 49 extend so as to hold these plates in proper spaced relation and provide a frame or holder for the gear train mechanism which is to be contained in this unit. This gear train consists of a pinion gear llon a shaft 5|. Also mounted on this shaft 5| is a gear segment 52, which gear segment meshes with gear 53 mounted on shaft 54. Also mounted on this shaft 54 is a segmental gear 55 which segmental gear has crown gear teeth 56 to mesh with pinion 36 on the indicating hand staff. The plates 46 and 47 of this unit are bent'outwardly to provide flanges ,57 and58' which are provided with slots 59 ,through which bolts 66 extend into the plate In assembling this unit on the plate, relative movement between the unit and the plate may occur, because of these slots 59, while the bolt 60 may act to clamp the unit on the plate in the desired adjusted position. By this arrangement the crown gear 56 may be properly meshed with the pinion 36 so as to provide a proper operating position. After the unit is mounted on the plate 36, the plate and unit is then positioned in the casing and the plate may be adjusted circularly in the casing by reason of slots 32 so as to bring the pinion 50 into mesh with the rack teeth 23 so that a' proper meshing relation of these two may be had. Thus, it is readily ap- 55 parent that a meshing relation of the two parts may be provided in a very convenient and simple manner.

It will be readily apparent that units such as providing various multiplications may be provided, it being only required that the relative position and distance between the pitch lines of the teeth of the gear and the teeth of the crown gear 56 be always the same distance apart whereby meshing may be had with the rack and with the pinion ,36 for conveying motion from one to the other.- v I I claim:

1. In a dial indicator, a hollow casing, a plunger having rack teeth extending into the hollow of the casing, a'front plate for the casing, an indicator hand staff rotatably carried by said plate and having a pinion on the said staff, a unit comprising a means to transmit motion from said rack to said pinion, means to adjust said unit with reference to said plate and means to adjust the plate and unit with reference to said rack.

2. In a dial indicator, a hollow casing, a plunger having rack teeth extending into the hollow. of the casing, a front plate for the casing, an indicator hand staff rotatably carried by said plate and having a pinion on the-said staff, a unit comprising a train of gears to transmit motion from said rack to said pinion including a gear to mesh with said pinion and a gear to mesh with said rack, means to adjust said unit with reference to said plate for meshing of said gear with said pinion and means to adjust the plate and unit with reference to said rack for meshing of another of said gears with said rack.

3. In a dial indicator, a casing, a plunger having rack teeth extending into the hollow of the casing, a front plate for the casing, an indicator handstaif rotatably carried bysaid plate and having a pinion on the said staif, a unit comprising a train of gears to transmit motion from said rack to said pinion including a crown gear to mesh with said pinion and a pinion gear to mesh with said rack, means to adjust said unit with reference to said plate for meshing of said crown gear with said pinion and means to adjust the plate and unit with reference to said racII: for meshing of said pinion gear with said rac JOHN H. WORTI-IEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of I this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Campbell May 2, 1939 

